Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest and crime counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site on September 24, 2026.
Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, has about 42,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Cerro Gordo County depends on where the incident happened: the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff's Office for the unincorporated county, the agency that reports for the city inside a city. This guide names each agency, where its records page is and what the Iowa Open Records Law (Chapter 22) requires of it.
This guide covers which agency, the sheriff's reports, the cities' reports, how many reports, what the law requires and common questions.
Related guides: Cerro Gordo County public records, Cerro Gordo County arrest records, Cerro Gordo County warrants, Cerro Gordo County inmate search, Cerro Gordo County criminal records, Iowa arrest records and Iowa inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Cerro Gordo County
A crime, incident or collision report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, and that agency releases it, not the court, the jail or the prosecutor.
In Cerro Gordo County that is the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff's Office for the unincorporated county and for any city that contracts with it for police service, and the agency that reports for a city where the city has one of its own.
Reports from the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff's Office
The Cerro Gordo County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 8 violent and 47 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 395 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit, reached through the office at 641-421-3019. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at cerrogordo.gov/sheriff/jail (page title: Jail | Sheriff's Office | Cerro Gordo County, Iowa), phone 641-421-3019, 17262, Wednesdays 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m., which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 24, 2026.
Reports from the City Agencies in Cerro Gordo County
The two cities the FBI lists in Cerro Gordo County with a reporting agency of their own:
- Mason City: 95 violent and 693 property crimes reported for 2025; 1,224 arrests reported for 2025.
- Clear Lake: 10 violent and 101 property crimes reported for 2025; 226 arrests reported for 2025.
A city on that list is reported separately whether the officers are the city's own or the sheriff's under contract; the FBI's list does not say which.
How Many Reports: Cerro Gordo County in 2025
The three agencies in Cerro Gordo County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 113 violent and 841 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Together, the three agencies in Cerro Gordo County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 1,845 arrests to the FBI that year, and each arrest is a report of its own.
What the Iowa Open Records Law (Chapter 22) Requires
Under the Iowa Open Records Law (Chapter 22) the agency must answer a request without delay; the law sets no fixed number of days, and a delay past 20 days must be justified, and it may charge the actual cost of copying and retrieval. The request goes to the agency that holds the report, in writing, and does not have to say why the report is wanted.
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the County Attorney, 641-421-3101, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Cerro Gordo County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff's Office for its own arrests, or the agency that reports for the city where it happened. Under the Iowa Open Records Law (Chapter 22) the answer is due without delay; the law sets no fixed number of days, and a delay past 20 days must be justified.
How long does an agency in Cerro Gordo County have to answer?
Under the Iowa Open Records Law (Chapter 22), without delay; the law sets no fixed number of days, and a delay past 20 days must be justified. It may charge the actual cost of copying and retrieval.
How do I get a report from the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit, reached through the office at 641-421-3019. Under the Iowa Open Records Law (Chapter 22) the answer is due without delay; the law sets no fixed number of days, and a delay past 20 days must be justified.
Is this the official Cerro Gordo County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.